I want to share with all of you a move which is  "the single biggest conservation measure by any government". Last week British government declared to establish the largest single marine reserve in the world, around the Pitcairn Islands, an overseas territory in the South Pacific. This is a great leap forward for ocean's protection.

The UK government's intention to designate a Pitcairn marine reserve puts Britain close to presiding over the largest amount of fully protected waters on Earth.  America is currently ahead by a few thousand square kilometres after the creation of the extended Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument reserve by President Obama last summer.

Britain will now have 1.49m square kilometres of fully protected reserves, compared with the US on 1.57m sq kilometres post this Pitcairn announcement.  The Pacific zone will cover 322,000 square miles (834,000sq km), more than twice the area of the British Isles, and aims to protect a wealth of ocean life from illegal fishing.

Some 94% of the UK's biodiversity exists in its Overseas Territories and the waters around Pitcairn are regarded as globally significant.  Pitcairn hosts one of the best preserve marine eco systems- a complex community of hard and soft corals.

Over 1,200 marine species have been recorded around there, including whales and dolphins, 365 species of fish, turtles, seabirds and corals. 48 of these species are globally threatened – such as the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, and some are found nowhere else on Earth – such as the Pitcairn angelfish.  

The waters around Pitcairn are teeming with turtles, whales, sharks and tuna. Thanks to this move by the government, these threatened species can regenerate .

The UK is responsible for the fifth largest area of ocean in the world, measuring 6.8 million square kilometres, over twice the size of India, and nearly 30 times the size of the UK itself.  As a result, Britain has more of a responsibility than most nations for taking a lead in global oceans protection.

I am absolutely delighted by the UK government's announcement  to create the largest marine reserve in the world, around the Pitcairn Islands , as it will protect the precious ecosystems.

Sources: 

The National 

Virgin.com 

Blue Marine Foundation

The Independent